Britain's royal family is reportedly considering launching a lawsuit against a French magazine that published pictures of Prince William's wife, Kate Middleton, sunbathing topless at a private house in France.

The magazine Closer published the photos Friday along with an article singing the praises of the vacationing couple, known officially as the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge.

In a statement, the royal family said the couple, married just last year, was “saddened” by what it called a “grotesque and totally unjustifiable” invasion of privacy.

The editor-in-chief of the magazine, Laurence Pieau, told Reuters news agency that outrage over the photos was an overreaction.

British media have not republished the photos, despite publishing nude photographs of William's brother, Prince Harry, taken by a partygoer last month in Las Vegas.